Watching humpback whales from boat was "profoundly moving experience" says Environment Secretary

 

Therese Coffey - pledge to fund creation of new wildlife habitats 

Below is a speech delivered by the Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey, to coincide with last week's international conference on nature recovery held in Montreal. 

Thank you for joining us bright and early - and thank you to the staff of the Natural History Museum for hosting us here before they open their doors to the public this morning as they have done for generations.

We are fortunate to have this cathedral of nature consecrated to 4.5 billion years of natural history, to the pursuit of science and to the study and appreciation of the world’s flora and fauna right here in our capital city.

So it’s hard to think of a more inspiring place for us to meet as I call on all of you to help us come together to secure the future of life on earth and a better future for every generation to come.

When I visited the museum recently, some of the scientists here reminded me that just five years ago, in Hintze Hall a diplodocus would have greeted us.

But it is right that we are now dwarfed by the awesome, twenty-five-metre skeleton of a blue whale the largest animal that has ever existed, bigger even than the biggest dinosaur.

Forty years ago, following a coordinated campaign from schoolchildren and conservation experts alike, sea-going nations around the world came together at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton and agreed a moratorium on commercial whaling.

In a global move to bring species back from the brink of extinction and find more peaceful ways of appreciating these wonderful creatures.

As Environment Minister, a few years ago I had the privilege of watching humpback whales from a boat off Nova Scotia. Itit was a profoundly moving experience.

And while this work is ongoing, we should take heart from what we have achieved and our commitment to seeing it through. Because it seemed impossible until it was done.

I am delighted to announce that, this spring we will launch a multi-million pound fund to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats - from scrub to wetlands and grasslands.

Each investment will secure multiple benefits for nature, climate, and people and encourage opportunities for private funding by backing underfunded projects that give us the biggest bang for our buck.

And we know that demonstrating our collective willingness and ability to close the finance gap for nature is key to unlocking the ambition we need in Montreal.

We all know that there is a long road between where we stand today, and where we need to be.

In national parks in South Africa I have seen how the illegal wildlife trade pits people and wildlife against one another with devastating consequences for all.

But I genuinely believe that if we work together to make the road ahead a road to recovery, we stand not just to avoid the worst impacts but to save precious species by securing the diversity, abundance and connectivity of life on Earth that will also help to bolster the peace and prosperity we all want to see.

The UK is committed to playing our part and to continuing to work with all of you and our friends around the world to see this through.